Today I’d like to talk about a topic we haven’t discussed before in this space. But it’s one that comes up often enough in my practice that I’m sure many of you have wondered about it, too. I’m talking about artificial hips—or more specifically, joint replacement.
Testing for heavy metals is something that I do with most of my patients. And you should know that if you have any artificial body parts—especially hips—then you might also have high levels of cobalt and chromium in your body.
These are the most commonly used metals in the manufacturing of artificial hips. So why is that a problem? Well I’m glad you asked…
Toxicity disguised as dementia
The theory is this: When the parts of these devices grind together in your body, tiny metallic particles break off, flooding your bloodstream and lodging into your tissues.
This condition is called Arthroplasty Cobalt Encephalopathy, or ACE. And symptoms include:
- Blindness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Memory problems
- Mood changes
- Pain
- Tremors
- Weakness
- Weight loss or gain
As you’ve probably noticed, most of these symptoms aren’t necessarily obvious. So it’s possible that you could suffer from a range of seemingly random health issues for years before finally discovering that your hip replacement was to blame.
In fact, one study showed that almost 50 percent of the joint replacement patients tested positive for high levels of cobalt in their blood. And among the patients diagnosed with ACE, the length of time from hip replacement surgery to the first sign of neurological symptoms was only around seven years.
This is very serious business, to say the least. In part because other research has linked cobalt toxicity with faster rates of brain aging. (Though unlike permanent progressive dementia, ACE is potentially reversible.)
It also shows that the areas of the brain affected by ACE are different than you’d see with any other type of dementia… which is enough to make you wonder how many people have been misdiagnosed.
An ounce of prevention
So how do you know if cobalt toxicity is behind your cognitive decline?
Well, there’s a test for this (which your doctor probably doesn’t know about, and would never think to order). It’s called an FDG-PET brain scan—and if you have ACE, it will light up like a Christmas tree.
In this case, an aggressive chelation regimen would be the first step toward recovery. (This helps convert those metallic particles into forms that can be excreted.)
But the real moral of the story here is that artificial hips made from cobalt should be avoided at all costs. In fact, I suggest being tested for compatibility with any medical device those greedy manufacturers are trying to get you to put into your body for any reason.
There are a lot of companies out there that offer such compatibility tests. And if you’re contemplating this kind of procedure, your surgeon should have a recommendation.
If they don’t, well… I suggest you look for a new one. Because it’s high time conventional docs started taking a little routine precaution—before all of their patients show up at my office when it may be too late for me to help.
And I should mention that maintaining a healthy weight is the single best way to avoid the need for joint replacement in the first place. In fact, my A-List Diet makes it easy and delicious to do exactly that… no matter how many diets have failed you in the past.
So if you haven’t done so yet, pick up your copy today. Your hips will thank you for it later.
Source:
“Cobalt Toxicity: The Poison in Her Hip Replacement.” MedTruth, 06/28/2019. (medtruth.com/cobalt-toxicity-the-poison-in-her-hips/)